The present invention relates to a camera having a sound recording function.
In conventional sound recording devices in a still video camera having a function of photographing using a self timer and a sound recording function, one time of sound recording is set at 9.6 seconds due to the recording capacity of a magnetic floppy disk, and a count time of a self timer is usually set at 10 seconds. And recording is executed generally after the completion of image photographing. As a result, one time of photographing and sound recording requires a rather long time. Further, when sound recording is executed after the completion of photographing in photographing using a self timer, it takes substantially 20 seconds from the first starting time of the self timer.
As shown in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 61-133780, a system is known in which a first and a second timers are provided, and photographing is executed after the count time of the first timer passes while sound recording is executed after the count time of the second timer passes. Further, as shown in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 61-253981, a system is known in which timings of exposure operation in photographing and sound recording can be optionally set by hand.
However, in these systems, though the timings of photographing and sound recording can be separately set respectively, these timings cannot be set in relation to a mode in which photographing using a self timer is executed (hereinafter referred to as a self mode) and a mode in which photographing not using any self timer is executed (hereinafter referred to as a usual photographing mode). Therefore, it takes a long time for a user to set the timings of photographing and sound recording, and such a camera cannot be easily operated.
Further, as shown in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 62-945, a system is known in which sound recording is executed during counting of a self timer. However, in this device, sound recording is not executed for an initial predetermined time, and sound recording is started after the predetermined time has passed. And further, no suggestion is given relating to the way how to set these timings in accordance with the changeover between the self mode and the usual photographing mode.
In conventional devices, when a user wishes to record the sounds again from the beginning, the image recording need to be executed again from the beginning. And it is difficult to do only the sound recording over again with keeping the recorded images as they are.
As shown in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 61-274588, an art is proposed in which, in order to elongate a sound recording time, sound collection is started by a sound collection starting operation and recording of collected sounds is repeated every lapse of time (about 10 seconds) corresponding to a track. However, in this device, sound recording is continued till a sound collection stopping operation is executed. Therefore, it is disadvantageous that unnecessary sound recording is carried out.
In conventional devices, when a sound recording of one track is executed with a frame of image recording, it takes about 10 seconds from the beginning of the photographing to the end of the sound recording. Therefore, when a next shutter release opportunity comes immediately after a first frame of photographing is completed and the corresponding sound recording is started, a user has to wait till the sound recording is completed or has to stop the sound recording by turning OFF the main switch or the like and thereafter start the next photographing. As a result, disadvantageously, the user apt to lose the shutter release opportunity.
After the sound recording is once started, troublesome operations are required for deleting the recorded sounds in such a time that a user fails to record sounds during the sound recording operation or executes photographing without being aware the the program is now in the sound recording mode against the user will.
Further, in conventional devices, usually a magnetic floppy disk adapted to execute image recording and sound recording in interlocked connection with pushing down of a release button. In such a sequential operation, since a spindle motor is being driven during the sound recording operation, a microphone attached to the camera also catches noises of the spindle motor when sounds are inputted through the microphone. Sounds are once stored in a sound memory and thereafter transferred from the sound memory to the floppy disk to be recorded therein. Therefore, rotatively driving of the spindle motor during inputtting sounds into the sound memory causes a waste of electric current.
Further, a device is known in which a start button for starting inputting of sounds is provided in addition to a release button for starting photographing so that the inputting of sounds can be started at a desired timing (for example, see Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 61-156979). In such a device, sounds can be inputted in the sound memory before starting photographing, but photographing operation and sound inputting operation are not synchronizedly and sequentially executed in relation to each other.
Further, devices are proposed in which a sound recording mode in which sound recording is executed and a mode in which sound recording is not executed are selectively changed over and images are continuously recorded, that is, so-called a continuous photographing mode being able to be set. However, when a sound recording mode and a continuous photographing mode are set at the same time, the operations photographing.fwdarw.sound recording.fwdarw. photographing.fwdarw.sound recording are repeated. With these repeated operations, recorded images are intermitted with time intervals of about 10 seconds and become unnatural, thereby failing in obtaining a continuous photographing function.
At a low brightness, back light or the like in the photographing scene, a flashlight mounted on the camera is emitted, and the flashlight is charged by a battery of the camera immediately after the photographing. As a result, the voltage of the battery is temporarily lowered during the charging operation, then, disadvantageously, it is possible that electronic circuits such as a sound inputting circuit are erroneously operated at the time of recording signals. And such a kind of charging circuit has an oscillating circuit provided with a transistor or the like. Therefore, when sound recording operation is executed during the charging operation, oscillating sounds of a boosting transformer are sometimes inputted.
Further, in a camera having a flashlight thereinside or mounted on the outside thereof, it is known that when an uncharged state of the flashlight is detected in spite of the necessity thereof, a release lock is set in order to prevent photographing with underexposure. While, in a camera having a continuous photographing function, when a release lock is set in the continuous photographing operation because the flashlight is uncharged, and then the photographing opertion is started again after completion of the charging, the continuous photographing operation is intermitted for a time required for the charging. As a result, the time intervals of the continuous photographing operation because irregularly each other.